“Our children are the rock on which our future will be built, our greatest asset as a nation. They will be the leaders of our country, the creators of our national wealth, those who care for and protect our people.” – Nelson Mandela, address at the dedication of Qunu and Nkalade schools, Qunu, 3 June 1995
I was completely overcome with emotion as we walked around the Liliesleaf Liberation Centre. To me, it served as a place of true revelation and understanding, a place that amassed everything we have studied and experienced during our time here in South Africa. I have learned more in the past few weeks than in other full semester classes taken, absorbing the expertise of our professors and local leaders, visiting museums, and basking in the culture, and consequent lessons offered by the country itself.
Ashamedly, before our fall introduction class and time spent travelling throughout the country, I had never learned about the apartheid system and the horrors that accompanied it. I have studied historical events like the Holocaust and Cold War in detail, but what was blatantly left out of my curriculum were dedicated sections regarding apartheid and the governmental oppression the system supported. I was never exposed to the terrors dealt at the hands of the National Party toward those of non-white descent, or the strides and actions taken towards the establishment of democracy by the ANC. District Six was a completely foreign concept when we arrived at the museum, and the conditions at Robben Island under which political prisoners survived were worse than anything I could have imagined. I knew that Nelson Mandela served an integral part in establishing democracy within South Africa, but his personal narrative preceding his presidential inauguration in 1994 was completely unfamiliar.
I was naïve and ignorant regarding the events that occurred in South Africa a mere fifty years ago. How could I have gone my entire life, both academically and personally, without learning the horrors of apartheid? Why was it left out of my schooling when it is such a prominent component of South African history? I have come to realize that I now have an obligation and responsibility to share what I have learned, seen, and faced with others. We have traveled through areas unbeknownst to many, been blessed with opportunities that some can only dream of, and interacted with individuals that have the potential to change our lives if we allow their words and actions to continue working within us.
Volunteering has always been a passion of mine, serving as the foundation for my declared major of Public Health and my interest in the medical field, as well. While every experience during this trip has offered the opportunity for self-evaluation and growth, and with some events pushing me beyond my norm more than others, it was the days spent at the Ekukhanyisweni Primary School that brought things into perspective. I am blessed. I have shoes on my feet, clothes on my body, food to eat, and the necessary tools to succeed in a classroom setting. The same cannot be said for the majority of the students at the school in Alexandra; however, those children are the most joyful, exuberant, optimistic, and passionate kids I have yet to encounter.
There are no words great enough to describe the smiles that appeared on the faces of the children when we handed them a new pair of shoes and a backpack, or the excitement and laughter that ensued during recess when we were able to play with them one on one. The thousands of newly catalogued and shelved books in their library have the potential to teach students how to read and write, think analytically, and provide an outlet of escape from daily hardships they might endure. These children are a true example of being able to find joy in the little things, and their optimism is inspiring when you take into consideration the conditions in which they come from and live. As Nelson Mandela has said before, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (“Education for All,” 2015). These children are the leaders of tomorrow, serving as a beacon of hope for the future of democracy and goodwill within the country. They have been awarded an opportunity to break a continuous cycle of poverty and are offered the ability to create and shape a future that their parents could only dream of decades ago.
The visit to Lilieasleaf Liberation Center and time spent at the school reinforced one specific point for me: youth possess the power to stand up and truly make a difference in the world. Specific exhibits within the Apartheid Museum supported this fact as well, but it was not until I entered the dining room of the main house at Lilieasleaf that something “clicked.” Various biographies of critical members in the movement to overcome apartheid hung on the wall, and while I have heard names like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Dennis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, and Ahmed Kathrada throughout our trip, I was unaware of how young these men were when they joined the struggle. A majority of them were in their early twenties, full of passion and desire to seek change, with Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada joining the Young Communist League of South Africa at the mere age of 12 years old (“Ahmed Mohamed “Kathy” Kathrada,” 2015).
The Soweto Youth Uprising of 1976 serves as yet another critical example of a young generation’s involvement in the political movement to end apartheid. Students marched through the township in response to new language regulations made within their schools by the government, only to be met by police resistance and brutality. Images were caught of the horrific event, drawing increased attention towards the events occurring in South Africa at the time (“The June 16 Soweto Youth Uprising,” 2015). A further example of youth involvement includes the creation of the African National Congress Youth League, which aimed “to galvanize the youth to step up the fight against segregation within the country” (“African National Congress Youth League,” 2015). I am twenty years old and cannot imagine the courage and motivation these individuals maintained while risking their lives for the assurance of equal and just human rights.
It is important to note that the issues discussed are not unique to South Africa. America has a long and brutal history surrounding civil rights, and there are areas and neighborhoods in which children go to bed hungry or face the terrors of the night without a roof over their heads as well. We still hear about incidents of oppression in the news today, leaving us with the duty to stand up for what is right and help promote equality for all. As we begin to finalize our travels throughout the wonderful, promising, and lively South Africa, we are faced with various obstacles. How can we apply what we have learned and experienced during our trip to improving the lives of others back home? How can we channel the courage and dedication seen in the youth during the apartheid movement to fight current unjust laws? What methods of awareness would prove most successful in promoting and implementing true racial equality on college campuses in the United States? I was completely unaware of the influence and enthusiasm this trip would instill within me, or the perspective I would gain on nominal issues I personally face at home. It is because of this however, that I am forever grateful for the experience.
References:
African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) | South African History Online. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/african-national-congress-youth-league-ancyl
Ahmed Mohamed “Kathy” Kathrada | South African History Online. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/ahmed-mohamed-kathy-kathrada
Education for All (EFA). (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/efa/quotes.shtml
The June 16 Soweto Youth Uprising | South African History Online. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/june-16-soweto-youth-uprising
